James Viadero, 56, of Sandy Hook has long worked in the field of municipal law enforcement, and now has assumed a new role, becoming Newtown’s police chief.

Chief Viadero spoke this week about his work as the town’s top law enforcement official, heading a 45-member police department. He started work on January 7, replacing Michael Kehoe, 60. who retired as chief following a 37-year career as a Newtown police officer.

Mr Viadero is the fifth person to serve as the town’s police chief since the police department was organized in 1971.

Chief Viadero said he is in the process of making contact with many local groups and organizations to introduce himself as the town’s new police chief.

In the coming weeks, he will be individually meeting with all members of the police department and its civilian support staff to familiarize himself with their concerns and learn how the police department can be improved, he explained.

The new chief said he plans to conduct pro-active law enforcement programs locally in areas including probation and parole. Many people living in town are on court-ordered probation, he noted, adding that police would be making periodic checks on the status of those people. Chief Viadero said he will providing more information on those planned programs in the future.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for 31 years,” he said, noting that he worked for 29 of those years as a  Bridgeport police officer.

In mid-2014, he retired from Bridgeport Police Department at the rank of captain. In that capacity, he supervised more than 100 people who were in the detective division and the emergency services unit.

Chief Viadero then took a position as police chief at Middlebury Police Department, heading that law enforcement agency until late last year.

The chief is well-versed in Newtown law enforcement issues, having served as a Republican member of the Newtown Police Commission from late 2009 to mid-2014. He resigned his Police Commission membership after he was hired as Middlebury’s police chief.

Of his new role as Newtown’s police chief, Mr Viadero said, “This is an opportunity…I’ve got a lot to contribute…It’s my hometown… I love it.”

The chief has lived in Sandy Hook for more than 20 years.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime, to be the chief in your own hometown,” he said.

“I’m very impressed with the caliber of the officers of this agency,” he said, adding that the town police’s use of technology is impressive.

Town police take an obvious interest in the work they do, he said.

In the coming weeks and months one of Chief Viadero’s prime goals will be to learn about the culture of the Newtown Police Department.

Also, Chief Viadero said he will be visiting local schools to familiarize himself with school-related matters.

Chief Viadero has a masters degree in criminal justice administration. He is a 2005 graduate of the FBI National Academy.

In the study of criminal justice, he is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield and at Post University in Waterbury. Also, he is an adjunct instructor at the police officer training academies in Meriden, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and Milford.

Chief Viadero is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association.